1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method and a program for producing a reduced image of which image information is distinguishable.
2. Description of the Related Art
In recent years, a number of images recorded in a memory has increased as the memory has higher capacity. Among the many images recorded in the high-capacity memory, a user selects a certain image to be outputted (to be displayed or to be printed). At this time, an index image is outputted first by an image output device. In the index image, are arranged thumbnail images produced by reducing the recorded images. The user searches the index image with the eyes to select the desired image. Such a way is generally performed.
As to a reduced-image producing method in which the reduced image is distinguishable, it is known that the thumbnail images respectively reduced in a fixed image size are arranged so as to correspond to image information stored in each of image files, such as described in Japanese Patent Laid-open Publication No. 63-233475 (Japanese Patent No. 2596740). Meanwhile, in the reduced-image producing method described in Japanese Patent Laid-open Publication No. 10-174052 (Japanese Patent No. 3019791), the respective images are reduced at a predetermined rate. In this case, the image size is distinguished on the basis of its display size.
However, the above reduced-image producing methods need to display the image information every image. Thus, there is a shortcoming in that much labor is required for displaying the information. Moreover, the different sizes of the reduced images disfigures the arrangement thereof. In addition, it is necessary to coordinate the display sizes and display positions in accordance with the respective image sizes so that much labor is required. Since image processing is complicated and has priority in comparison with other processes, it takes a lot of time. In a case that multitask processing is executed, the other processes are likely to be affected.